All experiences - Page 3

Winter is just around the corner and we have only one wish: to escape the cold! So we dream of being in the sun, enjoying the gentle way of life typical of the south of France. What if you could make this dream come true? Head for the Thau Archipelago to spend a few days in cocooning mode in a cosy apartment hotel, for a gastronomic dinner followed by a concert, in an unusual museum or even in pools of thermal water at 34°C and under the expert hands of masseuses. We'll tell you a little more about the weekend we've planned for you right now!  The Marcel suites It is in the heart of the city of Sète, along the Léopold Suquet quay, that you will find the first stage of your stay in the Archipel de Thau: your accommodation! Located above the mythical restaurant The Rio, ...

Tribute to the missing sailors and fishermen. Discovering Sète's traditions Sunday morning. I enjoy a coffee on the terrace, in a small bar near the market of Les Halles, when I am challenged by excitement and music. Curious, I let myself be guided by the noise and came face to face with a procession led by a marching band. Is it one of those parades that precede the jousting tournaments, as I was told by friends who came to Sète last summer on holiday? To be sure, I decide to call someone when my eyes meet those of a lady of a certain age with a benevolent look. She tells me that today is St. Peter's Day, the patron saint of fishermen. The next stop of this great celebration takes place in the church of Saint Louis which, according to him, is worth a visit. I let myse...

Share great moments and take advantage of the good weather to discover authentic and unmissable events in Sète.    OURSINADE (mid-March) Every year in Sète, the Oursinade, a large open-air guinguette, attracts visitors who come to taste the best that the Thau Basin has to offer: sea urchins, but also oysters, mussels, tielles and other gastronomic and wine-making delights of the region.   IMAGES SINGULIÈRES (Ascension) Images Singulières is the event that makes Sète exist in the very select world of photography. Devoted to its documentary bent, this festival celebrates, for 15 days, the diversity of views and gives us a glimpse of what words are not always enough to express. Vernissages, exhibitions, concerts, workshops, artists in residence...   K-LIV...

Do you dream of escaping for a weekend? Sète is the destination you need. It plays the "artistic" card and knows how to preserve its popular soul. Leave for a weekend with a little extra soul. Beware, Sète will catch you in its nets! All the flavors are in the halls of Sète A treat for the eyes and the taste buds! Every morning, local products are in the spotlight: tuna, red mullet, sea bass, monkfish and of course seafood and shellfish from the Thau lagoon. To find out more Expert advice: In Sète, you can enjoy many local specialties: macaroni, stuffed mussels and squid, cuttlefish rouille, and the famous tielle sétoise... Don't miss this little pie filled with octopus, a true institution of Sète gastronomy.Artistic stroll Visit the Open Sky Museum, thanks to i...

Today I discover the atmosphere of the famous Monday of Saint Louis, the great celebration of the city of Sète. It's Monday! The last day of the feast of St. Louis, which began on Thursday. A full weekend for me. Between the various parades where all the districts are represented, the famous square ball tournament, the tribute to the railway workers and the concert at the Théâtre de la Mer. We end this party with the "heavy" category jousting tournament!We meet in the morning with our friends in the town hall square, or as the Sète people also call it "Place du Poufre "*. We're waiting for the famous macaroonade! Players and Sète eat this dish for occasions or on Sundays with the family, but especially before the Languedoc jousting tournaments. Tomato sauce, sausage, me...

Today I discover the atmosphere of the famous Monday of Saint Louis, the great celebration of the city of Sète. It's Monday! The last day of the feast of St. Louis, which began on Thursday. A full weekend for me. Between the various parades where all the districts are represented, the famous square ball tournament, the tribute to the railway workers and the concert at the Théâtre de la Mer. We end this party with the "heavy" category jousting tournament!We meet in the morning with our friends in the town hall square, or as the Sète people also call it "Place du Poufre "*. We're waiting for the famous "macaronade"! Players and Sète eat this dish for occasions or on Sundays with the family, but especially before the Languedoc jousting tournaments. Tomato sauce, sausage, ...

Did you know that urban art is expressed in all its forms in the streets of Sète? Whether you are an art lover, curious or contemplative, the open-air museum is waiting for you. No less than 40 urban frescos will catch your eye. How does this living museum grow? Every year at the beginning of June, the K-Live festival showcases street art on the walls of the maritime city. The concept is simple: give the artists "carte blanche". Scaffolding, round tables, guided tours, performances and concerts take place. An event with a relaxed atmosphere that puts the spotlight on leading artists. Sète has made a name for itself in the world of urban art. Whatever the time of year when you are in Sète, enjoy the original experience of discovering or re-discovering the MaCO (Op...

We discovered Sète a few years ago during a romantic weekend. Today, we are introducing our daughter to this little piece of paradise. Today the sun is shining brightly. The ideal weather for a family day in Sète. First stop: the Museum of the sea, to help our daughter discover the history of the city, deeply linked to its maritime heritage.Then we take a walk on the docks. The façades are colourful, the water smells like iodized water, you'd think you were somewhere else, thousands of kilometres away from home.  We admire the trawlers, the boats with the charm of yesteryear, and we observe fish swimming in the canal. Impossible to resist all the restaurants with their lively terraces from which laughter escapes from all sides. The opportunity to taste a delicious cuttlefis...

Today, I'm learning to make the famous Sète tielle to bring back the flavours of my vacation with me. I have often heard about the tielle, this octopus pie and tomato sauce. I like to travel, but above all, I like to taste the culinary specialties! There's no better way to discover a culture, is there? I go to the Halles de Sète to drink my coffee before starting the cooking workshop. The chef, very friendly, explains the origin of the tielle, its ingredients and how we will cook the octopus. We start by making the dough, which was often the baker's dough at the time. A little flour, olive oil, yeast and salt, we knead well and here is our dough ready, we will let it rest until we prepare the rest. The thawed octopuses, ready to boil, in a saucepan. Now we remove ...

Summer vacation with friends is clearly the best time of the year. No schedules, no strings attached, just cool sharing time. When I booked the summer holidays for our group of friends, I already had a few criteria in mind, set during our last evenings: a trip that didn't make us waste too much time, a festival with a good program, the beach to recover from our evenings. And I had the perfect plan: the Thau archipelago. After a few hours on the train, we disembark in Sète and put down our stuff. Just enough time to change our clothes, and here we go for an afternoon on the beach, which will finally turn into an aperitif in a straw hut.  After a short stop in our rental for a small shower, direction the city center and its lively terraces to eat a bite to eat. We find ours...

Explore Sète’s green lung on the western slope of Mont Saint-Clair with 27 hectares of pine forest and Mediterranean scrubland. Stroll along the paths and enjoy a unique view of Thau lagoon, the Lido and the Mediterranean in the background. On a clear day you can also see the Pyrénées mountains and Mont Canigou. Spectacular! New: Check out the mobile app for the Pierres Blanches forest trails. The app is easy to use. It’s easy and free to download and only takes a few seconds. The tour is narrated by two characters. Martin, a fine connoisseur of Sète, presents the historical aspects of the forest and its association with man. Aurélie, from the French National Forests Office (ONF), presents the botanical and natural aspects of the forest. They are your guides for t...

Thau lagoon is a stunning example of biodiversity. An ecological gem, the lagoon is 20 km long and 5 km wide. It is separated from the Mediterranean by a long stretch of sand, known as the Lido. The salty water has made it the ideal breeding place for oysters and shellfish since antiquity. The only one of its kind in France and listed a Natura 2000 site, the lagoon is a reservoir of biodiversity with nearly 400 plant species and 100 animal species including clams, sea snails, sea urchins, sea bream, mullets, seabass and the famous seahorse that attracts divers from around the world. ​ Shellfish farms occupy over 1,300 hectares of the water in Thau lagoon. Shellfish are Thau lagoon’s main resource. Oysters and mussels are grown by 800 farms on 2,800 shellfish rafts. Take ...

No matter which destination you have chosen for your holiday in the Thau archipelago, we invite you to take advantage of these few days to get away from it all and discover the 14 communes that make up our destination.  You can also find more information in our magazine.   Balaruc-le-Vieux Set on a hillock, the village dominates the creek of the corner with a view on the lagoon. A medieval village wrapped in its ramparts, which magnifies the past. We love to get lost in its narrow streets. Discover Balaruc-le-Vieux   Balaruc-les-Bains The first spa in France, Louis Bonaparte already came here for a cure in the 19th century! People come here to enjoy the benefits of its thermal waters, but also to stroll through the flowery alleys of the Mediterranean Ant...

Looking for an idea for your Sunday walks despite the winter? The Archipelago of Thau is the place to go to get some fresh air and enjoy the mild temperatures of southern France. That's why we've put together a short list of places to go for a walk, so all you have to do is make your choice: a guided tour of the Bagnas reserve, an iodine bowl along the Lido, birdwatching at the old salt pans of Frontignan... The Bagnas reserve: To be discovered freely or with a guide Situated on 561 hectares between Marseillan and Cap d'Agde, the Bagnas reserve has become over the years a paradise for birds and nature lovers alike. Now protected, it can be discovered through the anecdotes of one of the guides of the Maison de la Nature or freely for a little more adventure. You can, for...

With 25 kilometres of fine sandy beaches, you are bound to find the ideal beach for you in the Thau Archipelago! ACCESSIBLE  THE BEACH FOR ALL All the seaside towns in the Thau Archipelago have beaches with walkways and Tiralos® (wheelchairs available at the lifeguard posts) adapted for bathing for people with motor disabilities, but only the beach at Balaruc-les-Bains has the Audioplage® system, which allows people with visual impairments to swim freely, independently and in optimum safety conditions. Balaruc-les-Bains is also one of the few French towns to have been awarded the national Destination for All label, recognising the spa's commitment to overall accessibility for people with disabilities. FAMILY NEVER WITHOUT MY CLANS  There is no shortage of family be...